*snickering* A woobie, as far as I can tell from the term's use in anime fandoms, is the Noble Punchingbag of Angst. Someone who's horribly trodden on by fate, but bears up under it with unspeakable nobility and, possibly, innocent purity.
*checks to see if you're gagging yet*
Anyway. Wurts has a bad habit of epic purple prose, but when she can control herself she does get into the issues of how and why people follow a religion, or deify someone/something. You might check out the trilogy that starts with Stormwarden. She keeps a decent grip on herself there, though the factions aren't nearly as complex as the Wars of Light and Shadow series. (Which shows no signs of stopping any time soon.)
The whole question of gods and religion in the Buffy-verse is an interesting one, though more for what Joss didn't deal with or answer than for what he did.
I have this sneaking feeling that Mary Gentle might have written some things that complicate the nature of gods or religion, but I can't name a specific example. Jo Clayton, too.
You know, the common thread in all the writers I'm coming up with are that they mix SF and F in their stories--they do world-mashing. And then they use the 'incongruities' as levers to open up the assumptions and world views of their characters. That tends to result in a complex treatment of politics, religion, culture... everything, really.
no subject
Date: 16 Mar 2006 09:40 pm (UTC)*checks to see if you're gagging yet*
Anyway. Wurts has a bad habit of epic purple prose, but when she can control herself she does get into the issues of how and why people follow a religion, or deify someone/something. You might check out the trilogy that starts with Stormwarden. She keeps a decent grip on herself there, though the factions aren't nearly as complex as the Wars of Light and Shadow series. (Which shows no signs of stopping any time soon.)
The whole question of gods and religion in the Buffy-verse is an interesting one, though more for what Joss didn't deal with or answer than for what he did.
I have this sneaking feeling that Mary Gentle might have written some things that complicate the nature of gods or religion, but I can't name a specific example. Jo Clayton, too.
You know, the common thread in all the writers I'm coming up with are that they mix SF and F in their stories--they do world-mashing. And then they use the 'incongruities' as levers to open up the assumptions and world views of their characters. That tends to result in a complex treatment of politics, religion, culture... everything, really.